Bag-holder



J. L. AND G. E. HERRMAN.

BAG HOLDER.

APPLICATION man NOV-15,1919.

340,7 1 4 Patented May 18, 1920.

/4 /5 I I l5 nwnrcz John Lflclrrman George E. Herrman JOHN HERB/MAN ANDGEORGE E. HERRMAN, MICA, WASHINGTON.

BAG-HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 18, 1920.

Application filed November 15, 1919. Serial No. 338,150.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN L. HERRMAN and GEORGE E. HERRMAN, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Mica, in the county of Spokane and Stateof Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBag-Holders, of which the following is a specification.

Our present invention relates to an mproved bag holder or device forholding open the mouth of a bag while being filled, and preferably whilethe bag is suspended by the holder, the primary object of the nventionbeing the provision of such a device that is comparatively inexpensiveof con struction and is simple in operation, durable, and may readilyand with facility be placed in operative position to hold the bag open,and with equal convenience and despatch may be released from the bagwhen desired.

The invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements ofparts for applying and releasing the bag holder, as will hereinafter bemore fully set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings we have illustrated one complete example ofthe physical embodiment of our invention in which the parts are combinedand arranged according to the best mode we have so far devised for thepractical application of the principles of our invention.

Figure 1 is a view in elevation showing the physical embodiment of ourinvention, with the parts in operative position for use.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, detail view of a por tion of the holder, showingthe outer or holding edge of the holder plate, in operative position asin Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective View showing one of the serrated or toothedholding plates hanging in released or inoperative position.

In the preferred form of the invention we utilize the device as a meansfor suspending the bag to be filled, as well as for performing thefunction of a device for holding the mouth of the bag open. Thus weemploy a bail of resilient wire metal of proper gage and size so thatthe two legs 1 and 2 have a tendency to spread under the action of thecoils 3, 3, at the top of the bail, and by means of the eye or ring l, ahook 5 is utilized to hang or suspend the holder so that the bag may beelevated and suspended with its mouth wide open for filling.

At the ends of the legs they are bent inwardly toward each other formingarms 6, 6, and the lower part of these arms have angular flattened endportions or extremities 7, 7 to which the holder plates 8, 8 are hingedat 9, the ends 7-7 being bent to encircle a hinged pin 14. This pin inaddition is engaged by ears or loops 15 on the plates 8 to form thehinged joint 9 and a spring coiled around the pin has its bearingagainst one side of the plates 8, while the central loop portion bearsagainst the outer face of the leg portion. The plates and theirconnections are complementary and duplex in their action, and of courseare reversed for performing their functions at diametrically oppositepoints in the mouth of the bag to be held open. Thus the plates arehinged at 9 and have each an angular serrated edge 10 with points orteeth extending outwardly in an approximate horizontal plane when inoperative position, and the plates in substantially vertical plane. Theplates are preferably curved to conform generally to the desired roundedopening of the bag, and of sufiicient length to insure an opening ofsufficient area to permit convenient filling of the bag. The tension ofthe resilient bail, it will readily be apparent, after the bail has beencompressed for insertion in the mouth of the bag, will urge apart thetwo legs of the bail with the result that the serrated edges or teeth ofthe two holder plates will engage the inside walls of the bag near theupper edge thereof to hold the mouth open and to suspend the bag therebyfor filling.

The holder plates are held in operative position by means of springs 11coiled about the hinge joints 9 which springs are of sufficient strengthto hold the plates in an upright position as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

y means of the lever 12, which has its bent ends 13 passed throughopenings in the plate, excess movement of the plate under tension of thespring is prevented as the lever, as will be seen, engages the legs ofthe bail to prevent further movement. leasing the serrated plate it isonly necessary to turn down the lever from position of Figs. 1 and 2,whereupon the teeth 10 are withdrawn from the material of the bag, andwhen both plates have been turned down as in Fig. 3 the bag is freedfrom'the holder. The looped form of the levers 12, fashioned from wireand made rigid with the plates, permits the levers to swing upwardlyover the angle at the lower ends of the legs 1 and In re- 2 with theirarms 6, and as the lever fits closely about the bail, it oifers littleobstruction to the filling of the bag, but is guided and held in properposition close against the bail. When the lever is turned down torelease the bag, it is turned down on the outside of the bag, and thisaction frees the holder from the bag, and then the upper edge of: thebag is freed from the holder by the same action, thus permittingWithdrawal of the parts.

What We claim is 1. A bag holder comprising a bail having a springhinged holding plate at each end, said plates having teeth to engage abag, and a lever secured to the plate for operating the same and alsoadapted to act as a stop for limiting the spring pressure of the holdingplate, whereby the plates may be released from engagement with the bag.

2. The combination With a hail, of a holdlever fixed to each plateadapted to fit over the arms of the bail for limiting movement of thespring plates, and also adapted for disengaging the plate from the bag.

In testimony whereof We affix our signatures.

JOHN L. HERRMAN. GEO. E. HERRMAN.

